2023 Edition

Background

Ancient Egypt trade expeditions along the northeastern coast of Africa - including today's Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia - occurred at various times between the 25th and 12th centuries B.C. Between A.D. 800 and 1100, immigrant Muslim Arabs and Persians set up coastal trading posts along the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, solidifying Somalia’s close trading relationship with the Arab Peninsula. In the late 19th century, Britain and Italy established colonies in the Somali Peninsula, where they remained until 1960, when British Somaliland gained independence and joined with Italian Somaliland to form the Republic of Somalia. The country functioned as a parliamentary democracy until 1969, when General Mohamed SIAD Barre took control in a coup, beginning a 22-year authoritarian socialist dictatorship. In an effort to centralize power, SIAD called for the eradication of the clan, the key cultural and social organizing principle in Somali society. Resistance to SIAD’s socialist leadership, which was causing a rapid deterioration of the country, prompted allied clan militias to overthrow SIAD in early 1991, resulting in state collapse. Subsequent fighting between rival clans for resources and territory overwhelmed the country, resulting in a manmade famine and prompting international intervention. Beginning in 1993, the UN spearheaded a humanitarian mission supported by international forces, but the international community largely withdrew by 1995 following an incident that became known as Black Hawk Down in which two American Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were shot down in Mogadishu. The fighting and subsequent siege and rescue resulted in 21 deaths and 82 wounded among the international forces.International peace conferences in the 2000s resulted in a number of transitional governments that operated outside of Somalia. Left largely to themselves, Somalis in the country established alternative governance structures; some areas formed their own administrations, such as Somaliland and Puntland, while others developed localized institutions. Many local populations turned to using sharia courts, an Islamic judicial system that implements religious law. Several of these courts came together in 2006 to form the Islamic Courts Union (ICU). The ICU established order in many areas of central and southern Somalia, including Mogadishu, but was forced out when Ethiopia intervened militarily in December 2006 on behalf of the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG). While the TFG settled in the capital, the ICU fled to rural areas or from Somalia altogether, reemerging less than a year later as the Islamic insurgent and terrorist movement al-Shabaab, which is still active today. In January 2007, the African Union (AU) established the AU Mission in Somalia peacekeeping force, which allowed Ethiopia to withdraw its forces, took over security responsibility for the country, and gave the TFG space to develop Somalia’s new government. By 2012, Somali powerbrokers agreed on a provisional constitution with a loose federal structure and established a central government in Mogadishu termed the Somali Federal Government (SFG). Since then, several interim regional administrations have been established and there have been two presidential elections. However, significant and fundamental governance and security problems remain for the SFG since al-Shabaab controls large portions of the country.

Area

land

627,337 sq km

total

637,657 sq km

water

10,320 sq km

Area - comparative

almost five times the size of Alabama; slightly smaller than Texas

Climate

principally desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in north and hot in south; southwest monsoon (May to October), torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons

Coastline

3,025 km

Elevation

highest point

Mount Shimbiris 2,460 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

410 m

Geographic coordinates

10 00 N, 49 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal

Irrigated land

2,000 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Djibouti 61 km; Ethiopia 1,640 km; Kenya 684 km

total

2,385 km

Land use

agricultural land

70.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 68.5% (2018 est.)

forest

10.6% (2018 est.)

other

19.1% (2018 est.)

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia

Major aquifers

Ogaden-Juba Basin

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

200 nm; note: the US does not recognize this claim

Natural hazards

recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season

Natural resources

uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves

Population distribution

distribution varies greatly throughout the country; least densely populated areas are in the northeast and central regions, as well as areas along the Kenyan border; most populated areas are in and around the cities of Mogadishu, Marka, Boorama, Hargeysa, and Baidoa as shown on this population distribution map

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north

Age structure

0-14 years

41.54% (male 2,633,262/female 2,640,088)

15-64 years

55.77% (male 3,609,721/female 3,469,735)

65 years and over

2.69% (2023 est.) (male 143,742/female 197,248)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

37.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

5.6% (2020 est.)

women married by age 15

16.8%

women married by age 18

35.5%

Contraceptive prevalence rate

6.9% (2018/19)

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

62.9% (2023 est.)

Death rate

11.4 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Demographic profile

Somalia scores very low for most humanitarian indicators, suffering from poor governance, protracted internal conflict, underdevelopment, economic decline, poverty, social and gender inequality, and environmental degradation. Despite civil war and famine raising its mortality rate, Somalia’s high fertility rate and large proportion of people of reproductive age maintain rapid population growth, with each generation being larger than the prior one. More than 60% of Somalia’s population is younger than 25 as of 2020, and the fertility rate is among the world’s highest at almost 5.5 children per woman – a rate that has decreased little since the 1970s. A lack of educational and job opportunities is a major source of tension for Somalia’s large youth cohort, making them vulnerable to recruitment by extremist and pirate groups. Somalia has one of the world’s lowest primary school enrollment rates – just over 40% of children are in school – and one of the world’s highest youth unemployment rates. Life expectancy is low as a result of high infant and maternal mortality rates, the spread of preventable diseases, poor sanitation, chronic malnutrition, and inadequate health services. During the two decades of conflict that followed the fall of the SIAD regime in 1991, hundreds of thousands of Somalis fled their homes. Today Somalia is the world’s fourth highest source country for refugees, after Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan. Insecurity, drought, floods, food shortages, and a lack of economic opportunities are the driving factors. As of 2022, more than 660,000 Somali refugees were hosted in the region, mainly in Kenya, Yemen, Egypt, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Uganda, while nearly 3 million Somalis were internally displaced. Since the implementation of a tripartite voluntary repatriation agreement among Kenya, Somalia, and the UNHCR in 2013, many Somali refugees have returned home, some 80,000 between 2014 and 2022.  The Kenyan Government in March 2021 ordered the closure of its two largest refugee camps, Dadaab and Kakuma, which then hosted more than 410,000 mainly Somali refugees.  However, the UN refugee agency presented a road map, including voluntary repatriation, relocation to third countries, and alternative stay options that persuaded the Kenyan Government to delay the closures.  The plan was supposed to lead to both camps being closed by 30 June 2022. Yet, as of May 2022, few Somali refugees had decided to return home because of security concerns and the lack of job prospects, instead waiting in the camps unsure of what the future held for them. Other Somali asylum seekers brave the dangers of crossing the Gulf of Aden to reach Yemen – despite its internal conflict – with aspirations to move onward to Saudi Arabia and other locations.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5.2

potential support ratio

19.3 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

99.4

youth dependency ratio

94.2

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 73.7% of population

improved: total

total: 84.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: 96.4% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 26.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 15.8% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 3.6% of population

Education expenditures

0.3% of GDP (2019) NA

Ethnic groups

Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including 30,000 Arabs)

Gross reproduction rate

2.57 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

75.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male

94.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

85.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

Languages

Somali (official, according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter), Arabic (official, according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter), Italian, English

major-language sample(s)

Buugga Xaqiiqda Aduunka, waa laga maarmaanka macluumaadka assasiga. (Somali)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

58.6 years

male

53.8 years

total population

56.1 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2023)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

note

note: on 31 August 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Somalia is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever, malaria, and Rift Valley fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

2.610 million MOGADISHU (capital), 1.127 million Hargeysa (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

621 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

18.7 years

male

19.2 years

total

19 years (2023 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Somali

noun

Somali(s)

Net migration rate

-1.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.3% (2016)

Physicians density

0.02 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

12,693,796 (2023 est.)

note

note: this estimate was derived from an official census taken in 1975 by the Somali Government; population counting in Somalia is complicated by the large number of nomads and by refugee movements in response to famine and clan warfare

Population distribution

distribution varies greatly throughout the country; least densely populated areas are in the northeast and central regions, as well as areas along the Kenyan border; most populated areas are in and around the cities of Mogadishu, Marka, Boorama, Hargeysa, and Baidoa as shown on this population distribution map

Population growth rate

2.49% (2023 est.)

Religions

Sunni Muslim (Islam) (official, according to the 2012 Transitional Federal Charter)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 33.8% of population

improved: total

total: 56.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: 82.4% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 66.2% of population

unimproved: total

total: 43.8% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 17.6% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.73 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.22 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.2% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

47.9% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

18 regions (plural - gobollo, singular - gobol); Awdal, Bakool, Banaadir, Bari, Bay, Galguduud, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe (Middle Jubba), Jubbada Hoose (Lower Jubba), Mudug, Nugaal, Sanaag, Shabeellaha Dhexe (Middle Shabeelle), Shabeellaha Hoose (Lower Shabeelle), Sool, Togdheer, Woqooyi Galbeed

Capital

etymology

several theories attempt to explain the city's name; one of the more plausible is that it derives from "maq'ad-i-shah" meaning "the seat of the shah," reflecting the city's links with Persia

geographic coordinates

2 04 N, 45 20 E

name

Mogadishu

time difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

the father must be a citizen of Somalia

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

7 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the federal government, by members of the state governments, the Federal Parliament, or by public petition; proposals require review by a joint committee of Parliament with inclusion of public comments and state legislatures’ comments; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote in both houses of Parliament and approval by a majority of votes cast in a referendum; constitutional clauses on Islamic principles, the federal system, human rights and freedoms, powers and authorities of the government branches, and inclusion of women in national institutions cannot be amended; note - in late December 2020, the president signed a decree blocking the approval of amendments

history

previous 1961, 1979; latest drafted 12 June 2012, adopted 1 August 2012 (provisional)

Country name

conventional long form

Federal Republic of Somalia

conventional short form

Somalia

etymology

"Land of the Somali" (ethnic group)

former

British Somaliland, Italian Somaliland, Somali Republic, Somali Democratic Republic

local long form

Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya (Somali)/ Jumhuriyat as Sumal al Fidiraliyah (Arabic)

local short form

Soomaaliya (Somali)/ As Sumal (Arabic)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Shane L. DIXON (since 25 July 2023)

email address and website

Kenya_ACS@state.govhttps://so.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Mogadishu, (reopened October 2019 on the grounds of the Mogadishu Airport)

mailing address

P.O. Box 606 Village Market00621 Nairobi, Kenya

telephone

[254] 20 363-6451

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1609 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Ali Sharif AHMED (since 16 September 2019)

email address and website

info@somaliembassydc.nethttps://somaliembassydc.net/

telephone

[1] (202) 853-9164

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the prime minister, approved by the House of the People

chief of state

President HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (since 23 May 2022)

election results

2022: HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud elected president in third round - Federal Parliament percent of vote in first round - Said ABDULLAHI DENI (Kaah) 20.2%, Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" (TPP) 18.3%, HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (PDP) 16.2%, Hassan Ali KHAYRE (independent) 14.6%, other 30.7%; Federal Parliament percent of vote in second round - HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud 34.1%, Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" 25.7%, Said ABDULLAHI DENI 21%, Hassan Ali KHAYRE 19.2%; Federal Parliament percent of vote in third round - HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud  66%, Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" 34%2017: Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" elected president in second round; Federal Parliament number of votes in first round - HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud (PDP) 88, Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" (TPP) 72, Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed (ARS) 49, other 37; Federal Parliament number of votes in second round - Mohamed ABDULLAHI Mohamed "Farmaajo" 184, HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud 97, Sheikh SHARIF Sheikh Ahmed 45

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by the Federal Parliament by two-thirds majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single 4-year term; election last held on 15 May 2022 (next to be held in 2026); prime minister appointed by the president, approved by the House of the People; note - elections were originally scheduled for 10 October 2021 but did not take place; on 13 April 2022, the election of the House of the People representatives was completed and the presidential election date was set for 15 May 2022

head of government

Prime Minister Hamza Abdi BARRE (since 25 June 2022)

Flag description

light blue with a large white five-pointed star in the center; the blue field was originally influenced by the flag of the UN but today is said to denote the sky and the neighboring Indian Ocean; the five points of the star represent the five regions in the horn of Africa that are inhabited by Somali people: the former British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland (which together make up Somalia), Djibouti, Ogaden (Ethiopia), and the North East Province (Kenya)

Government - note

regional and local governing bodies continue to exist and control various areas of the country, including the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia

Government type

federal parliamentary republic

Independence

1 July 1960 (from a merger of British Somaliland, which became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960, and Italian Somaliland, which became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960 to form the Somali Republic)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU (candidate), EAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

the provisional constitution stipulates the establishment of the Constitutional Court (consists of 5 judges, including the chief judge and deputy chief judge); note - under the terms of the 2004 Transitional National Charter, a Supreme Court based in Mogadishu and the Appeal Court were established; yet most regions have reverted to local forms of conflict resolution, either secular, traditional Somali customary law, or Islamic law

judge selection and term of office

judges appointed by the president upon proposal of the Judicial Service Commission, a 9-member judicial and administrative body; judge tenure NA

subordinate courts

federal courts; federal member state-level courts; military courts; sharia courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil law, Islamic (sharia) law, and customary law (referred to as Xeer)

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Federal Parliament to consist of:Senate (54 seats; senators indirectly elected by state assemblies to serve 4-year terms)House of the People (275 seats; members indirectly elected by electoral colleges, each consisting of 51 delegates selected by the 136 Traditional Elders in consultation with sub-clan elders; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 40, women 14, percent of women 25.9%House of the People - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 225, women 50, percent of women 22.2%; note - total Parliament percent of women 19.5%

elections

Senate - first held on 10 October 2016; last held 27 July - 13 November 2021 (next to be held in 2024)House of the People - first held 23 October - 10 November 2016 (next scheduled for September - October 2021 but postponed to November 2021 and then extended numerous times until April 2022; next to be held in 2024)

note

note 1: the inaugural House of the People was appointed in September 2012 by clan elders; in 2016 and 2017, the Federal Parliament became bicameral with indirect elections scheduled for 10 October 2016 for the Upper House - renamed 'Senate' and 23 October to 10 November 2016 for the House of the People; while the elections were delayed, they were eventually held in most regions despite voting irregularities; on 27 December 2016, 41 Upper House senators and 242 House of the People Members of Parliament (MP) were sworn innote 2: despite the formation of political parties in 2020, the 2021 parliamentary elections maintained a primarily clan-based system of appointments; seats in the legislature were apportioned to Somali member states and not by party representation

National anthem

lyrics/music

lyrics/music: Abdullahi QARSHE

name

"Qolobaa Calankeed" (Every Nation Has its own Flag)

note

note: adopted 2012; written in 1959

National holiday

Foundation of the Somali Republic, 1 July (1960); note - 26 June (1960) in Somaliland

National symbol(s)

leopard; national colors: blue, white

Political parties and leaders

select National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) approved parties (as of 2020): Cosmopolitan Democratic Party [Yarow Sharef ADEN]Green Party [Ahmed HAJI]Himilo Qaran Party [Sharif SHEIKH AHMED]Ilays Party [Abdulkadir OSOBLE]Justice and Reconciliation PartyNational Progressive PartyPeace and Unity Party [Asha ABDALLA]Qaransoor Party [Abdijabaar SHEIKH AHMED]Qiimo Qaran PartySecurity and Justice PartySocial Justice Party [Mohamed NUR, chairman]Somali Labour Party[Ali Mohamed APOLLO, chairman]Somali Republic Party [Abdinur Ahmed DARMAN, chairman]Somali Social Unity Party or SSUP [Yaasiin Maaxi MACALIN]Union for Peace and Development Party or PDP [HASSAN SHEIKH Mohamud]Wadajir Party [Abdirahman Abdishakur WARSAME]

note

note: in 2017 an independent electoral commission (the NIEC) was inaugurated with a mandate to oversee the process of registration of political parties in the country; as of 2021, the NIEC had registered a total of 110 parties

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

camel milk, milk, sheep milk, goat milk, sugar cane, fruit, sorghum, cassava, vegetables, maize

Budget

expenditures

$151.1 million (2014 est.)

revenues

$145.3 million (2014 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.1% (of GDP) (2014 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$427 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$464 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2014

$5.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Economic overview

low-income African Horn economy; 30 years of war and instability crippled economic potential; high remittances for basic survival; new fiscal federalism approach; cleared some unsustainable debt; environmentally fragile; digitally driven urbanization efforts

Exchange rates

Currency

Somali shillings (SOS) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2016

23,960 (2016 est.)

Exports

Exports 2013

$779 million (2013 est.)

Exports 2014

$819 million (2014 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, sheep, goats, sesame seeds, insect resins, cattle (2019)

Exports - partners

United Arab Emirates 47%, Saudi Arabia 19%, India 5%, Japan 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

NA

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

0.3% (2015 est.)

government consumption

8.7% (2015 est.)

household consumption

72.6% (2015 est.)

imports of goods and services

-1.6% (2015 est.)

investment in fixed capital

20% (2015 est.)

investment in inventories

0.8% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

60.2% (2013 est.)

industry

7.4% (2013 est.)

services

32.5% (2013 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$7.052 billion (2017 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017

36.8 (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2017

$80.07 billion (2017 est.)

Imports 2018

$94.43 billion (2018 est.)

Imports - commodities

cigarettes, raw sugar, rice, broadcasting equipment, textiles (2019)

Imports - partners

United Arab Emirates 32%, China 20%, India 17%, Turkey 7% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

3.5% (2014 est.)

Industries

light industries, including sugar refining, textiles, wireless communication

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

-71.1% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

1.5% (2017 est.)

Labor force

3.042 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Public debt

Public debt 2014

93% of GDP (2014 est.)

Public debt 2017

76.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 US dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$18.191 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$18.644 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$19.399 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

7.46% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

2.49% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

4.05% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$1,100 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$1,100 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$1,100 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2014

$30.45 million (2014 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

0% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

NA

Unemployment rate 2019

18.83% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

19.72% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

19.86% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

38.5%

male

32.5%

total

34.7% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

882,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

882,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

311.2 million kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

91,000 kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

35 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

30.6% (2021)

electrification - total population

49.3% (2021)

electrification - urban areas

70.6% (2021)

population without electricity

10 million (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

95.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

1.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

802,000 Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

5.663 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

5,900 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

5,590 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2020 est.)

total

119,000 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

2 private TV stations rebroadcast Al-Jazeera and CNN; Somaliland has 1 government-operated TV station and Puntland has 1 private TV station; the transitional government operates Radio Mogadishu; 1 SW and roughly 10 private FM radio stations broadcast in Mogadishu; several radio stations operate in central and southern regions; Somaliland has 1 government-operated radio station; Puntland has roughly a half-dozen private radio stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2019)

Internet country code

.so

Internet users

percent of population

14.5% (2021 est.)

total

2.465 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line is 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 52 per 100 (2021)

general assessment

Somalia’s economic difficulties in recent years have made it difficult for telcos and the government to sustain investment in infrastructure; the government has also had to contend with militant groups which continue on occasion to force the closure of internet services in many areas of the country; in recent years, though, the government has addressed the lack of guidance which had prevailed since 1991, when a dictatorial regime was overthrown; the National Communications Law was passed in October 2017, aimed at setting a legal and regulatory framework for the telecoms sector, while provision was made in the following year to set up a regulatory authority to oversee the telecom sector; more recently, three types of licenses were mandated to provide clarity to operators, and to bring the market closer into line with international standards; all operators were given until August 2020 to secure one of the three license types; given the poor condition of fixed-line infrastructure, operators have concentrated on mobile connectivity; their investment plans have involved the development of LTE services to provide mobile data and broadband services; the telecom market has flourished; tariffs are among the lowest in Africa, and new cable systems coming on stream in the next few years, as well as planned investments from local operators to bolster the country’s national fiber backbone, will lead to downward pressure on retail pricing; on the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices are under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes as the remnants of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic remain and as global events, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, continue to play out; the market is continuing a positive growth trajectory, supported by a slow economic rebound in the country (2022)

international

country code - 252; landing points for the G2A, DARE1, PEACE, and EASSy fiber-optic submarine cable system linking East Africa, Indian Ocean Islands, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

91,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

52 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

8.844 million (2021 est.)

Airports

52 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

8

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

44

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

6O

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 1, other 3

total

4 (2022)

National air transport system

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

4,486 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

7

number of registered air carriers

6 (2020)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Berbera, Kismaayo

Roadways

total

15,000 km (2018)

Military - note

the Somali National Army (SNA) and supporting security and militia forces are actively conducting operations against the al-Shabaab terrorist group (see Appendix T); al-Shabaab controls large parts of southern and central Somalia of the SNA’s approximately 13 brigades, the most effective are assessed to be the US-trained Danab ("Lightning") Advanced Infantry Brigade and those of the Turkish-trained Gorgor ("Eagle") Special Division; as of 2022, the Danab Brigade numbered about 1,500 troops with an eventual projected strength of 3,000, while the Gorgor Division was estimated to have up to 5,000 trained troops; the Somali Government has sent thousands of troops to Eritrea and Uganda for training and in 2023 announced plans to send additional personnel to Egypt and Ethiopia for trainingthe African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) operated in the country with the approval of the UN from 2007-2022; its peacekeeping mission included assisting Somali forces in providing security for a stable political process, enabling the gradual handing over of security responsibilities from AMISOM to the Somali security forces, and reducing the threat posed by al-Shabaab and other armed opposition groups; in April 2022, AMISOM was reconfigured and replaced with the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS); the ATMIS mission is to support the Somalia Federal Government (FGS) in implementing the security objectives of the FGS's security transition plan, a comprehensive strategy developed by the FGS and its international partners in 2018 and updated in 2021 to gradually transfer security responsibilities from ATMIS to Somali security forces; originally about 20,000-strong (civilians, military, and police), ATMIS began reducing its staffing levels in mid-2023; its planned departure from Somalia is the end of 2024 UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM; established 2013) is mandated by the Security Council to work with the FGS to support national reconciliation, provide advice on peace-building and state-building, monitor the human rights situation, and help coordinate the efforts of the international community; the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS; established 2015) is responsible for providing logistical field support to ATMIS, UNSOM, and the Somali security forces on joint operations with ATMISthe European Union Training Mission in Somalia (EUTM-S) has operated in the country since 2010; the EUTM provides advice and training to the Somali military; the US, UK, and Turkey maintain separate military training missions in Somalia (the US has also supported the SNA with air strikes); the UAE maintains a military presence in Somaliland (2023)

Military and security forces

Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF; aka Somali National Defense Force): Land Forces (Somali National Army or SNA), Somali Navy, Somali Air ForceMinistry of Internal Security: Somali National Police (SNP, includes Coast Guard and a commando unit known as Harmacad or Cheetah) National Security and Intelligence Agency (includes a commando/counterterrorism unit) (2023)

note

note 1:  the Somali Navy and Air Force have only a few hundred personnel, little equipment, and are not operationalnote 2: Somalia has numerous militia ("macawisley") and regional forces operating throughout the country; these forces include ones that are clan- and warlord-based, semi-official paramilitary and special police forces ("darwish"), and externally sponsored militiasnote 3: Somaliland and Puntland have separate military and security forces

Military and security service personnel strengths

estimates vary; approximately 20,000 regular military personnel (2023)

note

note 1: in January 2023, the Somali Government said the SNA would have 24,000 trained and equipped troops by 2024; it aims to also have about 40,000 policenote 2: as of 2022, there were estimates of up to 50,000 militia forces operating in the country

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the SNA is lightly armed with an inventory that includes a variety of older, secondhand equipment largely from Italy, Russia, South Africa, and the UK; in recent years, it has received small quantities of equipment as aid/donations from a variety of countries, including the US (2023)

note

note: in 2022, the UN voted to maintain an arms embargo on Somali in place since 1992; however, the embargo was modified to reflect the Somali Government’s progress in improving its management of weapons and ammunition; it includes allowing Somalia to import portable surface-to-air missiles, higher-caliber mortars, anti-tank guided weapons, some aircraft and vessels designed or modified for military use, and combat drones for use by its security forces and police — unless the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions objects within five working days of receiving notification from the Somali Government

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2017

5.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

Military Expenditures 2018

6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

5.6% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription of men aged 18-40 and women aged 18-30 is authorized, but not currently utilized (2023)

note

note: in 2019, the Federal Government of Somalia renewed its commitment to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers by signing a roadmap detailing measures and practical actions to prevent violations against children, release children associated with armed forces, and reintegrate them into communities; the signing followed a similar accord committed to ending the use of child soldiers signed by both the Somali Transitional Government and the UN in 2012

Disputes - international

Somalia-Djibouti: none identified Somalia-Ethiopia: Ethiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist Courts from Mogadishu in January 2007; the border between the Ogaden region of eastern Ethiopia, which is inhabited by ethnic Somalis, and Somalia is only partially demarcated under colonial rule and has been the source of tension for decades Somalia-Kenya: Kenya works hard to prevent the clan and militia fighting in Somalia from spreading south across the border, which has long been open to nomadic pastoralists; in 2015, the Kenyan Government began building a wall along the border to prevent the crossborder movement of militant groups; the boundary separates ethnic Somalis; in October 2021, the Somalia-Kenya Indian Ocean boundary dispute was decided by the International Court of Justice; the ruling adjusted the boundary slightly north of Somalia’s claim giving Somalia the majority of the contested maritime territory, which is believed to contain rich oil and natural gas deposits; while the decision is legally binding, it has no enforcement mechanism, and Kenya has said it will not abide by it

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

3.864 million (civil war since 1988, clan-based competition for resources; famine; insecurity because of fighting between al-Shabaab and the Transitional Federal Government's allied forces) (2022)

refugees (country of origin)

23,364 (Ethiopia), 9,969 (Yemen) (2023)

Terrorist group(s)

al-Shabaab; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – Somalia

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.65 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

20.13 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

14.28 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

principally desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in north and hot in south; southwest monsoon (May to October), torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons

Environment - current issues

water scarcity; contaminated water contributes to human health problems; improper waste disposal; deforestation; land degradation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified

Nuclear Test Ban

Food insecurity

exceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies

due to drought conditions and internal conflict - the food security situation remains dire and, at national level, about 6.5 million people (almost 40 percent of the total population) are projected to have faced severe acute food insecurity between April and June 2023; the high prevalence and severity of food insecurity are due to prolonged drought, which began in late 2020 and caused severe crop and livestock losses; the impact of the drought on households’ food security has been compounded by prolonged conflicts and hikes in international prices of wheat and fuel caused by the war in Ukraine (2023)

Land use

agricultural land

70.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 68.5% (2018 est.)

forest

10.6% (2018 est.)

other

19.1% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Ogaden-Juba Basin

Total renewable water resources

14.7 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

3.28 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

2 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

20 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.2% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

47.9% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2,326,099 tons (2016 est.)